#20 Roger Daltrey
Everybody knows The Who, one of the most successful rock bands that ever impacted our generation. So it's no wonder that the lead singer would try his luck at acting. From the film Lisztomania by Ken Russell to another 50 plus movies, Daltrey has experienced that filming industry several times. However, it's hard to admit that he's actually not that great or memorable when it comes to acting...
#19 Paul McCartney
Now, if you don't know who Paul McCartney is then you probably live under a rock or were born just a few years ago. He is the type of musician that can be 74 but act as if he were 50 on stage. So one would think that when it comes to acting, McCartney would be amazing. But looking over the movies he has starred and roles he has had... well, the performance was a little bit underwhelming.
#18 Mick Jagger
Another singer that is very well known and that we all love, Mick Jagger tried his luck at acting without much success. A genius when it comes to stage presence with an incredible connection with the audience, there's few that can leave an impact like Mick Jagger does. However, even after appearing in the sci-fi film Freejack, or when he played Victor Vacendek and tried rather hard to give this character an interesting personality... he showed us that acting is simply not his thing.
#17 Prince
Prince tried his luck on the screen for the first time in Purple Rain. A performance that was rather hard to criticize given the stupendous soundtrack that accompanied the film. However, the next attempts were under different scenarios and this time it was clear that Prince was not cut for acting. Under The Cherry Moon was quite the disaster the moment he decided to fire the film's director and cast his girlfriend.
#16 Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice, also known by very few as Robert Matthew Van Winkle, is a famous American rapper and for a while that's all we thought he would be, until he starred in the TV reality show "The Vanilla Ice Project", a home flipping and renovation series.
#15 50 Cent
When Samuel L. Jackson turned down a role with the excuse that he just didn't want to act with an unsuccessful actor, he was referring to 50 Cent and nobody can blame him. 50 Cent is not great at acting; his performance is rather flat and the only thing he is good at when it comes to film, is being somewhat menacing with his glare.
#14 Gene Simmons
Simmons had some great success with popular rock band KISS, however, it seems that for Gene this wasn't enough. Instead, he decided to pursue something more and what better than acting? Well he was okay when he played himself (I mean how can you be bad at playing yourself) but when it came to something more challenging, such as 1984's Runaway, it's hard to say we didn't cringe.
#13 Grace Jones
With her stunning looks, we all thought that Grace Jones would do better when she decided to also pursue an acting career. She's a style-icon that had had such an amazing career. From entrepreneurship to being the embodiment of female power, Grace seemed to have it all. Until she starred in the film A View to a Kill, where we were all left a bit confused about her performance.
#12 Britney Spears
Everybody loved Britney Spears singing. Arguably one of the most famous singers of her time, Britney Spears seemed to be able to do it all. That is... except for acting. When she starred in the film Crossroads, we were all rather stunned about the dull songs, the strange female empowerment connotations that seemed to be written by a the opposite of a feminist, and Spears not so great acting.
#11 Ringo Starr
Another beloved member of The Beatles that attempted to act, Ringo Starr gained popularity as a singer, songwriter and drummer from one of the best bands that ever existed. However, he should have thought twice before he decided to pursue a career in the film industry because from his performances, all we got was a rather goofy Ringo Starr having some fun on set.
#10 Mariah Carey
Much like other musicians that take a stab at acting, when Mariah Carey starred on a film, it was one where the role was made to suit her needs. However, while the singing was flawless (I mean who can say that Mariah Carey doesn't have an amazing voice), everybody was quick to criticize her lack of ability to act.
#9 James Taylor
A widely famous singer known for sharing his music in his tours that appeal more to a white old man, James Taylor should probably just stayed with singing. When James starred in Two-Lane Blacktop with the role of being "The Driver" the audience was quick to notice that there wasn't much substance to the musician's acting at all.
#8 Dennis Wilson
While Dennis probably wasn't the most talented of the Beach Boys (arguably one of the most attractive ones) he definitely had rather interesting life. Believe it or not, Wilson was the link that tied Charles Manson to the music industry. Dennis didn't try to hard in acting, however, he was given credit in the film Blacktop.
#7 Phil Collins
Phil Collins was a magnificent musician no doubt, but as an actor he was kind of silly. He starred in Miami Vice as a lead antagonist and he was the lead title role in Buster. It didn’t help him when this movie was boycotted by Prince Charles and the late Diana so now he's mostly starring as cameos and doing voice work.
#6 Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan’s first role on the big screen was the murderous cowboy in Western Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. During this movie, it didn’t help that he was acting to another musician Kris Kristofferson, Whose acting career was impressive to say the least. Due to his over complicated role in this movie, perhaps casting the raspy singer as a mostly mute sociopath was a masterstroke. Throughout his other roles in cinema, He’s downright boring, and so it is the mishmash of ideas that work much better in his song lyrics.
#5 Tom Petty
No matter what kind of person you are, there's something so pleasantly laid back and inoffensive about Tom Petty’s music, that it's impossible not to like the man. However, the same cannot be said about his acting. His roles in the Postman and Dances with Wolves ends with Petty being in a trance with himself. Like most things with petty, he mostly just comes off kind of high.
#4 Elvis Costello
Much like his music, Elvis Costello could rarely perform without smirking. There's no question that the man can sell a joke, but selling a part in acting was definitely not his forte. His brief appearances in films like 200 Cigarettes, the long Forgotten Americathon, Spice World, and a brief part in Frasier were delivered with dry expectations. Its fair to say that his impromptu personality did not translate to the big screen very well.
#3 Ian Dury
Ian Dury’s music was eccentric and took an intelligent perspective on the punk scene, however, this translation to the film industry could be best described as underwhelming. He played as a pawn shop clerk in Judge Dredd, and had numerous roles in Split Second, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, Pirates and Hearts of Fire.
#2 Flea
Acting for Flea is still currently in the works. He has tried numerous times to be engraved in Hollywood's acting list. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers Bassist starred in Pixars Inside out and was a regular casting member on The Wild Thornberries his various attempts peaked as a Needles in Back to the Future I and II, However its fair to say that its a role that is very hard to mess up.
#1 Anthony Kiedis
Anthony Kiedis, like many on this list, saw the stage only for a brief time. His pursuit to super stardom was motivated by his jealousy towards his bassist who had starred in over 25 films. Having his first major role as a surf Nazis in 1991’s point break, his acting can ultimately be compared to a young high schooler entering theatre for the first time. He would leave Hollywood with his role in The Chase but at least he was able to reach his goal of being listed on IMDB.
